Elastic band powdered rolling toy



Dec. 7, 1965 N. A. KECK 3, L6

ELASTIC BAND POWDERED ROLLING TOY Filed Dec. 16. 1963 FIG?) NORMAN A.KECK Y United States Patent 3,221,446 ELASTIC BAND POWDERED ROLLING TOYNorman A. Keck, 707 4th Ave., Joliet, Ill. Filed Dec. 16, 1963, Ser. No.330,894 7 Claims. ((11. 46206) This invention relates to a toy and moreparticularly to a toy of improved design of the type which can be rolledacross a surface and will return again in a counter direction.

In some respects the toy of this invention is an improvement on theinvention set forth in my copending application Serial No. 224,697, nowpatent 3,174,254, filed September 19, 1962.

An object of the invention is to provide a toy which when rolled acrossa surface will return in a counter direction and which is extremelysimple of construction, being made of few parts.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a toy in which therim of the wheels may be near the frame on each side but which yetpermits suificient wind up of the toy to roll and return a substantialdistance. More specifically, an object is to provide wheels in thegeneral form of hollow cones which permit attachment of resilient bandssubstantially inwardly of their rims.

Another object of the invention is to provide a toy of this character inwhich the axle is a simple resilient band and wherein the wheels arefrictionally mounted in spaced relationship on this band, thus providingthe whole moving structure of only two different parts.

Other objects will be apparent as this specification proceeds.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which FIG. 1is a plan view of one form of the toy;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the roller-axle assembly as shown inFIG. 1 with interior edges shown in dotted lines; and

FIG. 3 is a view like FIG. 2 but showing another embodiment of theinvention.

As illustrated, the device includes a frame 10 which in this embodimentis a wire in rectangular form, having side members 11 and 12, and endmembers 13 and 14. Although the frame 10 is shown as a simple wire theframe may in practice take almost any form and may resemble, forexample, an animal, an automobile, or other familiar object, it beingnecessary only that whatever form the frame may take there is provided apair of side members between which the wheel and axle structure mayextend.

In a preferred form of the device as shown in FIG. 1, the device has afront wheel-axle structure A and a similar rear wheel-axle structure A.With these two wheel-axle structures the device is stabilized. Thedevice may also be effectively used with only one of such wheel-axlestructures by hooking the device to another roll toy or by substitutingfor one of the wheel-axle structures A and A an ordinary set of wheels.

Referring more particularly to FIG. 2, the wheel-axle structure Aincludes a band 15 made of rubber or other such resilient material, anda pair of wheels and 20'.

The wheel 21) has a hub portion 21 which contains an axial opening 22.The band 15 is passed axially through this opening. Preferably theopening 22 is smaller in cross section than the cross section of theband so that the band must be stretched substantially in order to passthrough the opening. Also it is preferable that the wheel be made ofrubber or similar material which is stiff enough to hold its shape butwhich may be somewhat expanded at the opening 22 to aid in permittingthe passage of the band therethrough. When the band 15 is receivedthrough the opening 22 to the desired eX- tent and then relaxed it isthus held frictionally within the hub of the wheel and when the wheel isrotated the band within the hub will also be rotated.

The hub 21 represents the smaller end of the generally conical form ofthe wheel, and the outer larger end of the wheel faces the side member11 of the frame. The outer end of the wheel provides the rim 23 which isintended to contact the floor or other surface on which the toy ispassed. The length 24 of the resilient band 15 which is passed throughhub 21 has its end fastened to the frame side member 11 by means. of thering or band 25. By this construction the rim 23 of the wheel 20 may bequite near the side member 11, yet the portion of the elastic band whichextends between the side member 11 and the hub 21 is long enough topermit sufiicient twist for a long roll of the toy across a surface.

The other end of the band 24 is received through the opening 22 of thehub 21' of the wheel 20 in the same way as explained in connection withthe wheel 20, and the end 24 of the elastic band is fastened to the sidemember 12 by means of the ring or band 25'. As explained in connectionwith wheel 20, the wheel 20' has its hub on the inner side and thelarger end carrying rim 23 faces the side member 12.

With the wheel-axle assembly A thus mounted in the frame we have thecentral portion 26 of the band 15 extending between the wheels 26 and20'. This portion of the band also is resilient and will yield to permitrotation of either of the wheels 20 and 20 with respect to the other.

It is understood that where it is not necessary for the wheels 20 and20' to be located with their rims near the frame members, these wheelsmay not need to be conical in shape but may be formed with the hubportion in substantially the same plane as the rim portion.

In the operation of the toy as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, a personmay grasp the frame and push the device along a surface a distance, orgive it a push so that it moves a distance along the surface bymomentum. In so moving, the wheels 20 and 20' rotate, causing the bandlengths 24 and 24 to be twisted, thus bringing them under tension. Atthe end of such forward movement the tension which has been built up inthe elastic bands moves to produce backward rotation of the wheels andso propels the device in a counter direction, until the bands cause thedevice to move forwardly again, and so on, until the toy stops with thebands untwisted or substantially so.

When the toy is pushed straight forwardly the band lengths 24 and 24'will each be twisted equally and the center portion 26 will remainuntwisted, and the toy will come straight back in the same path. Butwhen the toy is pushed forwardly in a curved path the wheel which is onthe outside of the curve will rotate faster and the portion of the bandwhich is between that wheel and the frame will be twisted to a greaterextent. Also, since one wheel is rotating faster than the other thecentral portion 26 of the band will also be somewhat twisted. When thetoy reaches the end of its curved forward movement it will startbackwardly, and since the portion of the band which is between the frameand the faster rotating wheel is under greater tension it will tend tosend that wheel backwardly at a faster rate, thus to send the toybackward along the same curved path as it moved forwardly.

By having the wheels 20 and 20' connected by the twistable portion 26 ofthe band it is possible to send the device on curved routes as well ason straight courses.

There is shown in FIG. 3 another modification of the improved toy. Theframe 10 having side members 11 and 12, is the same as the respectivemembers of the FIG.

2 modification. The wheel-axle structure B is somewhat differentlyconstructed. In this modification there is a central shank 30. Near oneend this shank has a flattened area 31, and behind this is a washer 32.The wheel 33, in the general form of a hollow cone, has a hub portion 34at its smaller end, and this contains an opening which is received overthe end of shank 30. The end of the shank is threaded, and a nut 35provided with the hook 36, is received over the threaded portion to bindthe hub portion 34 against the washer 32.

The resilient band 37 of rubber or other such resilient material has itsone end over the hook 36 and its other end fastened to the side framemember 11 by the ring 25a.

The wheel 33' is shaped similar to Wheel 33 and is mounted in similarmanner to the other end of the shank 30, and the resilient band 37 isemployed in similar manner to band 37 to fasten the hook 36' to the sidemember 12. As in the principal embodiment, the larger end of thegenerally conically shaped wheels 33 and 33' face their respective sideframe members.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in terms ofpreferred embodiments, those skilled in this art will appreciate thatmany changes may be made, and the invention may take many forms, allwithin the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a toy of the type which when rolled in one direction will reverseitself and roll in the opposite direction, the combination of a framehaving spaced side members, an elastic band having its one end connectedwith one of said side members and the other end connected with the otherof said side members, and a pair of wheels having hubs with axialopenings therein, said band being received within the hub openings ofsaid wheels and frictionally engaged therein.

2. In a toy of the type which when rolled in one direction will reverseitself and roll in the opposite direction, the combination of a framehaving spaced side members, an elastic band having its one end connectedwith one of said side members and the other end connected with the otherof said side members, and a pair of Wheels each in the general shape ofa hollow cone, said wheels having hubs with axial openings therein andbeing received over said band with the band frictionally engaged withinsaid openings and with the larger ends of each of said generally conicalwheels facing outwardly toward one of said side members.

3. In a toy of the type which when rolled in one direction will reverseitself and roll in the opposite direction, the combination of a framehaving spaced side members, a pair of wheels each in the general shapeof a hollow cone, said wheels being spaced apart and disposed betweensaid side members with the larger end of each wheel facing outwardlytoward one of said side members, and means for connecting said wheelsaxially between said side members, said means including a length ofelastic band extending between the smaller end of one of said wheels andone of said side members and a length of elastic band extending betweenthe smaller end of the other of said wheels and the other of said sidemembers.

4. In a toy, the structure set forth in claim 3 in which the smallerends of said wheels are connected by a rigid shank.

5. In a toy, the structure set forth in claim 4 including a hook fixedto each end of said shank, each of said hooks being disposed within oneof said generally conically shaped wheels and each engaging the innerends of said lengths of elastic band.

6. In a toy of the type which when rolled in one direction will reverseitself and roll in the opposite direction,

the combination of a frame having spaced side members,

a pair of wheels spaced apart and disposed between said side members andelastic means for axially connecting said wheels together and to saidside members whereby said wheels may rotate with respect to said frameand with respect to each other through the yielding of said means.

7. In a toy, the structure set forth in claim 1 wherein said wheels areformed of rubber material whereby the Wheels may be frictionally engagedwith said band at the hub openings and at their rims with the surface onwhich the toy is placed.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,797,527 7/1957Lohnes 46-206 X 2,814,160 11/1957 Keck 46212 X RICHARD C. PINKHAM,Primary Examiner.

3. IN A TOY OF THE TYPE WHICH WHEN ROLLED IN ONE DIRECTION WILL REVERSEITSELF AND ROLL IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, THE COMBINATION OF A FRAMEHAVING SPACED SIDE MEMBERS, A PAIR OF WHEELS EACH IN THE GENERAL SHAPEOF A HOLLOW CONE, SAID WHEELS BEING SPACED APART AND DISPOSED BETWEENSAID SIDE MEMBERS WITH THE LARGER END OF EACH WHEEL FACING OUTWARDLYTOWARD ONE OF SAID SIDE MEMBERS, AND MEANS FOR CONNECTING SAID WHEELSAXIALLY BETWEEN SAID SIDE MEMBERS, SAID MEANS INCLUDING A LENGTH OFELASSTIC BAND EXTENDING BETWEEN THE SMALLER END OF ONE OF SAID WHEELSAND ONE OF SAID SIDE MEMBERS AND A LENGTH OF ELASTIC BAND EXTENDINGBETWEEN THE SMALLER END OF THE OTHER OF SAID WHEELS AND THE OTHER OFSAID SIDE MEMBERS.